Marine fishing fleet in the Soviet Union: A review of its structure and dynamics

Abstract

The Soviet Union was a prominent player in the marine living resource sector for a long time, owing to its powerful fishing fleet. In this paper, we summarized information on the fleet structure and analyzed its long-term dynamics during the postwar period (1946–1991). In terms of vessel type and project diversity, trawlers were the leading category, followed by transport vessels (carriers and reefers), processing vessels, and seiners. These categories also represented the largest share of the total fleet in terms of their relative contributions. The fleet modernization resulted in vessel types with greater length, speed, engine power, and processing capabilities. The number of vessels (NV) and total gross tonnage (TGT) increased in all categories except for whalers and sealers. The most pronounced increase in NV and TGT occurred from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. Medium-sized trawlers were the dominant category in terms of NV until 1978, while large-sized trawlers were the most common from 1979 to 1991. The observed positive changes in fleet structure reflected broader trends, including the modernization of the fishing sector, the reallocation of fishing efforts to high seas, and the impact of marine organism stock fluctuations. These changes aligned closely with global patterns in the industry. However, negative trends began to manifest in the 1980s, linked to inadequate management practices and challenges in advancing fleet modernization. Our study introduces novel insights for comparative analyses and retrospective studies on stock fluctuations in relation to fleet dynamics.